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Arab Americans Making A Difference in Iowa!

AAI
Posted on Thursday January 3, 2008

The 2008 Iowa Caucuses were met with extraordinary enthusiasm and unprecedented voter turnout. The Arab American Institute proudly joined with Concerned Iowans for Middle East Peace to help Arab Americans and members of the peace community raise awareness about the current situation in Palestine.

The groups hosted speaking tours and educational events across Iowa during the past seven months. A petition was circulated encouraging caucus-goers to support a candidate who demonstrated a strong commitment to the Middle East Peace process. The effort was a huge success! A diverse range of groups and many individuals signed onto the petition. On caucus night, there were nearly 2000 “Concerned Iowans”.

Arab Americans were active elsewhere on the trail. Several Arab Americans caucused for the first time. Participation in campaign offices as paid staff, volunteers, canvassers, party hosts, and precinct captains ensured that Arab American issues were at the forefront of the debate. This enthusiasm and activity encouraged many campaigns to designate staff specifically to Arab American and Muslim outreach.

All of this hard work in Iowa paid off! The Arab American Institute was happy to work with Concerned Iowans for Middle East Peace to raise awareness about issues important to the Arab American community. AAI looks forward to finding additional ways to support Arab Americans and engage candidates throughout the primary season.